Tigers -- hunting, prey and captive feeding.

Strength:

Kills are usually carried or dragged to an area of dense cover before feeding; one tiger was observed to drag a kill for over a mile. 500 pounds worth of prey may be dragged a great distance with ease, quite a feat when it is considered that this may equal or exceed the weight of the tiger itself. It is not rare for a tiger to successfully move prey twice its own weight and some amazing events have been noted.

For instance:

a tiger was recorded as carrying the whole carcass of a domestic cow over a six-foot wall.
a male tiger pulled an adult gaur (a type of wild ox) a distance of 39 feet. Attempts to move the carcass by thirteen men failed.

Once a safe spot is reached, the prey is consumed over the course of several days.

Feeding:

Tigers (including man-eaters) usually begin their eating at the animal's rump and then search for the choicest organs: kidneys, heart, liver and lungs.

Because the tiger goes for days between meals a great deal of food is needed at each sitting and these cats may eat as much as 80 pounds of meat at one time. A particularly hungry wild tiger can consume as much as one fifth of its own body weight.

It has been estimated that approximately 70 chital deer (average weight 70 kilograms) would be required to feed an adult tiger for a year. There must also be enough prey animals to maintain their own numbers, so the density of prey has to be quite high to sustain tiger populations. Given this, a requirement of 350 chital deer per tiger is a more accurate figure.

(Continued Page 10)

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